U.S. futures edge lower as Greek concerns weigh; Dow Jones down 0.08%

Investing.com - U.S. stock futures edged lower on Tuesday, as investors waited for signs of progress in Greek discussions to secure a second bailout package and avoid a sovereign debt default.

Ahead of the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a decline of 0.08%, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.14% loss, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.12% fall.

President of the Eurogroup of finance ministers Jean-Claude Juncker said earlier he was confident Greece would remain in the single currency bloc, provided that the country fulfilled its obligations to other bloc members.

Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos was due to hold talks with coalition leaders later Tuesday to discuss what conditions they are prepared to accept in exchange for a second bailout, after postponing talks on Monday and failing to finalize an agreement over the weekend.

Energy stocks were expected to be active after Anadarko Petroleum, the largest U.S. independent oil and natural-gas producer by market value, reported fourth-quarter profit excluding some items that beat the average analyst estimate by 36%. The company’s shares jumped 1.42% in after hour trade.

BP saw shares tumble 2.18% in pre-market trade, although the group posted earnings slightly above forecasts and a better-than-expected dividend increase. The company also said it was preparing "vigorously" for lawsuits related to its Gulf of Mexico oil spill, due to start later this month.

Elsewhere in earnings, Yum! Brands said fourth- quarter profit gained 30% as sales increased at stores in China, sending shares up 1.76% in pre-market trade.

Auto makers were also slated to be in focus as General Motors sold 246,654 vehicles in China in January, down 8% from a year earlier. It attributed the decline to fewer shopping days during the Lunar New Year which fell in January this year.

Toyota Motor raised its full-year profit forecast more than a third as it cuts costs, trims spending and expects Japanese government schemes to boost sales, though the guidance was still some way below market expectations.

Meanwhile, Oracle rejected a potential USD272 million award against SAP over copyright infringement allegations, opting for a new trial after a U.S. judge slashed over USD1 billion from a previous verdict.

Other stocks in focus included Coca Cola, due to report earnings before the opening bell.

Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 declined 0.65%, France’s CAC 40 retreated 0.50%, Germany's DAX dropped 0.81%, while Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.39%.

During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index eased up 0.15%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index slipped 0.13%.